There are many different aspects of a marijuana business that need to be taken into consideration when running the company. This article will go over just some of these factors and how they can affect your sales and marketing strategy. One important note is to understand what kind of business you want to run, whether it’s a medical or recreational dispensary. This will determine what licenses you’ll need from your state government and the kinds of products you’ll be allowed to sell. Another thing worth considering is where in the country you plan on opening up shop so that there aren’t any legal restrictions in place preventing you from doing so because cannabis isn’t federally legal yet. There are several effective ways that you can use to promote your marijuana business, so let’s take a look at some of these now.
Create a Website
If you do not have a published website, there is no time like the present to get it done. According to statistics, searches for marijuana increased by 98% in 12 years – can you imagine all those missed opportunities? Your marijuana business website must be optimized and interesting, and ideally should be able to be used across a wide range of devices. Most importantly, your website design must aptly reflect your brand, because this is the first impression of your business that visitors to your site will get. One big name in this industry is Canna Cabana, which operates as a dispensary as well as a headshop, and also provides online shopping through their website. They offer a wide range of products and browsing their website is a pure joy since it really provides an easy-to-navigate environment. Don’t ignore the power of the blog, so in addition to your advertising, keeping your audience engaged and informed with blog posts will keep them on your site for longer periods. The chief aim is to ensure that your website ranks high enough in marijuana searches.
Social Media
If your competitors are using social media marketing and advertising, and you’re not, you’re already losing out. Although cannabis businesses are discouraged from paid advertising, nothing is stopping you from creating accounts with posts that educate and inform your followers. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are free to join, and all you need is a strong bio, great logo, and regular content that is captivating and well planned. Platforms like Instagram give you exposure to a targeted audience as well as users that do not follow you, and again, maximum reach comes through effective use of relevant content, hashtags, and keyword optimization. And you get to hook up with influencers that are marijuana enthusiasts, giving you even greater exposure.
Guest posting
Guest posting is an extremely effective tool and one of the best search engine optimization practices. Blog posting on other sites has a wide range of benefits. Your business gets maximum exposure to another audience, and you create brand awareness and trust with those that may be unfamiliar with your brand. You will also be amazed at the increased traffic to your site. And did we mention backlinks? These are the heartbeat of SEO, and the more backlinks you have, the higher your business will rank in Google searches.
Radio Advertisements
Sounds outdated, doesn’t it? But think about the number of commuters that jump into their cars daily. People love radio, and you should leverage off the fact that most stations allow marijuana advertisements. Be wise in where you choose to advertise, because a channel should be selected based on its audience, all to optimize targeted advertising. And for greater impact, your ad needs to be run at least three times in a segment. If you’re unable to find a station that can advertise for you due to federal restrictions, try satellite stations instead.
You may find yourself running into advertising challenges because of federal laws, but this is easily overcome with normal business social media pages that are optimized to drive traffic to your website. The value of social media is quite understated, and while they may not allow paid advertising, platforms such as Instagram are ideal for creating brand awareness and building trust through interaction and engagement with your audience. Consumers are hesitant to purchase from brands that they do not know, and using these tools is a great way to extend your reach and get your brand out there.
